Building the West Calgary Recreation Centre + Public Library, One Piece at a Time
There’s something deeply satisfying about watching a digital design come to life in physical form. For the West Calgary Recreation Centre + Public Library, we wanted to build more than a model — we wanted to build a story you could touch. Over six weeks, our team turned drawings and files into a detailed 1:200 model that captured both the precision of our process and the warmth of craft.
Starting with Purpose and Scale
Before we began cutting or printing, we needed to understand the “why.” What would this model show, and where would it live when complete?
After some early discussions (and a few sketches on napkins), we landed on a 1:200 scale, large enough to show architectural character but compact enough for display. The building would be made of basswood — tactile and warm — while the site would be 3D printed in white PLA filament, to highlight the contrast between natural and digital fabrication.
We mocked up multiple versions in Revit and Rhino, testing section cuts, simplifying geometry, and figuring out how every façade and elevation would translate into real materials. From there, we printed plans, made test cuts, and ran small-scale 3D prints to fine-tune tolerances and material settings.
Setting Up Our “Workshop”
Most of the build took place in Elie’s garage, which quickly became our home base (and occasionally, sauna). Shengjie was there nearly full-time, surrounded by sawdust, glue, and basswood offcuts. Moxiao moved between the office and garage — starting and monitoring the 3D prints, which ran almost nonstop.
We printed two site segments at a time, adjusting the model as we went to hide seams at sidewalks, curbs, and landscape edges. After experimenting with different infill strategies, we decided to make the site hollow but visually solid, cutting filament use by nearly half and lightening the overall build.
Wood, Patience, and Precision
The model’s structure began with floor plates and walls, each piece measured and cut using the printed drawings as templates. We used mini table saws and 1-2-3 blocks to keep everything perfectly square. Every wall and façade was handled like a small construction project — some built solid, others hollow for weight reduction.
For the façade articulation, we discovered that by running wide basswood strips lightly across a low-set saw blade, we could etch delicate vertical stripes without cutting through the wood. It became a kind of “wood engraving” — no glue, no extra materials, just patience and precision.
Aligning the Digital and the Hand-Made
Bringing together the printed site and the hand-built building was where things got real. Wood shifts with humidity; PLA doesn’t. Working in a non-climate-controlled garage meant constant adjustments — reprints, trims, sanding, and the occasional do-over.
The trickiest part was the below-grade parking, where basswood floors met 3D-printed site walls. Getting the ramps and levels right felt like a miniature construction coordination meeting. Eventually, we added a plywood tray base to support the model and stabilize the hollow site.
Finishing Touches
Once the structure was complete, it was time to bring the site to life. We added 2D scale figures, white cars, and dried baby’s breath trees to animate the streetscape. The all-white palette kept the focus on the architecture while hinting at the energy and diversity of the future community. Watch a timelapse of the process at the end of this post.
What We Learned
This process reminded us that physical modeling isn’t just about representation — it’s about discovery. Each step sharpened our understanding of the building, the site, and even our own workflow. The mix of 3D printing and handcraft taught us where digital precision ends and where human touch begins.
It was also a reminder of how creativity thrives under imperfect conditions. Sometimes the best studio is a garage filled with tools, dust, and laughter.
